Wolves boss Mick McCarthy has called for one special Christmas present from his December heroes on Boxing Day at Anfield.

The manager takes his rejuvenated – and almost certainly full strength – side to Anfield to face a stuttering Liverpool insisting they must produce ‘another Tottenham’ after three wins from their last four games.

Liverpool’s on and off-field problems see chief Rafa Benitez without suspended midfielder Javier Mascherano, while Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres are playing with groin problems in a team beaten in nine of its last 17 games and out of the Champions League.

But McCarthy said: “I wouldn’t expect Liverpool to be where they are for long, but if we can gain any advantage through anything, then that’s what we’ll try to do. We’ll have to play like we did at Spurs and work as hard as we did there.

“Effort-wise, they’ll have to be at nine-and-a-half out of 10 – we’ll have to play as well as that.

“Performance-wise, we can’t afford anyone below seven out of 10.  For us to get anything out of Liverpool, they must all be sevens, eights and nines.”

Wolves are expected to be at full strength after ‘McCarthygate’, despite the visit of Manchester City two days later.

McCarthy added: “People must think I’m so green I’ve turned into a Martian if they think they’re going to get the team out of me! The lads will be fine for Boxing Day, though.

“After Liverpool I’ll discuss what I can and can’t do for Manchester City.”

Despite their apparent struggles, Liverpool have still won five and drew two at home, so McCarthy expects them to improve soon.

He said: “Rafa says they will finish in the top four and if they find the form they’re capable of, they can beat anyone. They proved that by beating Manchester United not that many games ago.

“I don’t know whether there’s a good time to go there and me saying that adds real fuel to the fire, so I wouldn’t be that stupid.

“They’re a top side who have just had a couple of bad results. When we were having them I said it would turn for us and it did.”